


I find my place lost inside your soul

by neigedemetal



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: F!Byleth, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Light Canon Divergence, Post-Time Skip, take place in crimson flower road
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-17
Updated: 2020-01-17
Packaged: 2021-02-27 09:08:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,207
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22294558
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/neigedemetal/pseuds/neigedemetal
Summary: "I can't-."A fit of coughing cut her but Byleth understood. Swim. She can't swim ! Stupid Emperor who defied the gods but could be devoured by Mother Nature herself.Annoyance was a good cover for the fear that Edelgard had planted in her, each genuine smile' a seed sliding under her skin. The girl had bloomed in her chest. Taking a space she didn't even know existed.
Relationships: Edelgard von Hresvelg/My Unit | Byleth
Comments: 1
Kudos: 43





	I find my place lost inside your soul

**Author's Note:**

> I find my place  
> In between your arms,  
> In between your tender kisses  
> And soft whispers of 'It will be alright',  
> In between the warmth of your embrace,  
> and the scent of your neck,  
> and the fierceness of your touch,  
> I find my place lost inside your soul. 
> 
> Home, Cynthia Go.

Bruised knuckles wiped her brow, cutting the flow of blood with a little of Faith where a sword had almost taken her left eye. The course of the battle had slightly slowed down, finally allowing her to look around. Even like that, the rain complicated the task, blurring her vision. It had been raining for days. The troops were exhausted, fever spreading like wild fire, but the clash had been inevitable.

Squinting, she managed to identify some of her students. Face marked with injuries, grimaces betraying pain, but always fighting, taking down enemy after enemy. A surge of pride warmed her but the feeling was short lived. 

The freeze slipped in her bones, viciously, as Edelgard collapsed a few feet away from her. _Archer._ In a roar, she charged, the Sword of the Creator vibrating in her hand as the blade disengaged to reap the enemy. Seconds later, she was beside the Emperor, trembling fingers hovering near the two arrows piercing her chest. Too close to the heart. 

"El.." She swallowed heavily, her composure shattering a little. Memories of an other moment flooding her mind. Her uselessness. _Not this time._ "I will fix it. I promise."

The power of the Goddess was familiar now. Her own since Sothis had sacrificed herself to allow her to continue her journey. The rustle of the antic magic invaded her senses, the world starting to move faster around her. The scene replayed in backward, leaving her moments before the incident. When the Hands of Time resumed their course, she was ready. She rushed on the archer, slauthering him without mercy. Splattered blood on her face seemed too hot but she didn't mind it long, already moving towards Edelgard. 

"No !"

Edelgard was barely breathing this time. Darker red staining her outfit. She had failed. Nothing had changed. Suddenly, it was like Sothis had never leaved her conscience, her voice so powerful in her head. _Sometimes you can't rewrite the story._ Reminiscence of another time. Five years ago. So close for her and yet in another life for all of the others. 

Emotions were like waves crashing against her ribcage, nameless feelings stirring her silent heart, almost like a painful beat. She grasped her chest, nails scratching at the plate of her armor. _One more time_. Foolishly, she grasped the power. All around, the rain stopped, drop frozen in the air. With the shortest of breath, she implored the Goddess. _Please. Help me._

The rain came down, sharp beads whipping her face. This time, she leaped towards Edelgard, tackling her with all her strength. Something fluttered in her back, quickly forgotten. She was waiting for the fall, unable to close her eyes. Almost smiling at the shock twisting the features of the Emperor. She guessed more than she heard the words formed by her lips. The exclamation followed by the familiar syllables. _Professor ?_

The fall didn't end. Not immediately. Again the time seemed suspended. Except that it was not. A rush of wind took her out of her trance. She was falling. Really falling. They had rocked past the edge of the ravine who had forced them to fight today. 

Maybe Sothis was right. Sometimes, even different action led to the same result. 

"I'm sorry, El."

She braced herself for the impact. 

* * *

The current was too strong. Stunned by the shock, she was struggling against the water, barely managing to break the surface to breathe. Her body was heavy, her stamina consumed by her previous efforts. There was always a price to pay, manipulating time was no exception. 

_Don't fight. The water doesn't tire._ Her father advice forced her to find calm again. It happened before. Silly six years old that she was had fallen in a river. At this time, she did not understand Jeralt's serene look on the bank. Like always, ignoring even her instinct, she had obeyed, her feet kicking the muddy ground to allow her to stay upright. There was never any danger, just panic. 

Something was wrong. 

Chill slid down her spine when everything came back in a flash. The fall. Edelgard. _Where-._ Scared gasps answered the question. The Emperor was struggling, swallowed by the waves way too fast. Seconds went off in her brain. _Move_ , she instructed her body without result. Edelgard's head emerged from the water, gasping for air. For a moment, lilac eyes crossed blue. 

"I can't-."

A fit of coughing cut her but Byleth understood. _Swim._ She can't swim ! Stupid Emperor who defied the gods but could be devoured by Mother Nature herself. 

Annoyance was a good cover for the fear that Edelgard had planted in her, each genuine smile' a seed sliding under her skin. The girl had bloomed in her chest. Taking a space she didn't even know existed. 

Her back hit a rock, snatching a grunt of pain to her lips. Bad for her, good for Edelgard. She grabbed her when she drifted close, relieved. The Emperor trashed a little in her arms, her fist flying, striking Byleth in the jaw. 

"Ow. Easy. Easy. You're okay. I've got you."

Once again, her sincerity surprised her. Not a shadow of a doubt. Since that fateful day, in the Holy Tomb, she had honored that promise she had made to herself. Protect Edelgard had become a need. She hadn't thought about the reasons but she had noted that despite all the affection she had for her other students it was not quite the same.

"My teacher-."

Labored breathing swept her neck when Edelgard managed to regain control, her arms clinging desperately around Byleth's shoulders. With too much force but now was not the time to complain. If complaints were required. Surely she was holding the Emperor a little too tight as well. The thought of losing her again in the current crushing her rib cage. 

"We will have to let ourselves be carried by the current."

The process remained dangerous but they had no other choice. They couldn't hang on this rock forever. No one would come to save them here. Even assuming that someone had seen them fall. Which was not certain in the chaos of the fight. 

Dextrous fingers untied the fasteners of Edelgard's mantle, freeing them from its certain weight. She hadn't encountered any complaits, the girl staying calm against her. 

"Do you trust me ?"  
"Of course, my teacher."

No doubt. The answer had come in a heartbeat, snatching a rare smile from Byleth.   
She could only hope that she would deserve this trust. 

* * * 

The water had dragged them over what seemed like miles. 

The current had not been tender, making them collide in every obstacle on the way. She had known gentler opponent. That she tried to absorb the majority of the shocks did not help. Deep down, she knew it was stupid. Too emotional. Edelgard needed help to float, not a shield. The idea of seeing her suffer if she could act on it was just too hard to bear. 

Bless Sothis, fortunately, she hadn't been punished for her sentimental idiocy. She had held on. The landscape had started to change, steep cliffs becoming slight slopes they managed to climb after some efforts. The land was finally under their feet. 

Or in Byleth's case under her whole body.


End file.
